GST: Input credit to reduce prices in the long run

The new tax regime addresses the issues of multiplicity of taxes, higher compliance costs, and improving the overall investment climate.

Billed as India's biggest reform independence tax since in 1947, GST replaced more than a dozen federal and state levies and was initiated with an intention to unify the country into a single market. However, nearly a month on, many are finding that doing business is quite complicated now.

For the man on the street, the impact will be seen in the form of slightly higher fees for banking transactions like funds transfer and ATM transactions as these have been put under the 18 per cent tax bracket in the new GST regime, from the earlier 15 per cent.Nevertheless, it is expected that GST will have a positive impact on India's growth and would reduce the prices in the medium and long term.

A MONTH AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

It is almost a month since GST was rolled out. Broadly speaking, it is going to impact in the following way:

Unified tax system across the country.

Built-in management information system (MIS) in the form of monthly return to know the movement of goods and services from one hand to another.

Minimize tax evasion with the help of such MIS.

Increase government revenue thereby creating resources for more development related work. Of course, in the short term, it might affect the businessmen, general public and others, especially the lower section of the economic system which is not yet aware of the importance of record keeping. However, it needs to be remembered that Input Credit system in GST is extremely important and its benefits should be passed on by each business units to its customers, be it B2B or B2C.

Till now, financial services companies could not claim the input credit for VAT, CST, Octroi, and entry tax paid on their procurements. Under GST, financial services companies can claim input tax credit for all these taxes. It may take some time to become aware of how the Input Credit system works and how it is going to dilute the increase in cost due to GST.

INCREASE IN COMPLIANCES

Currently, financial services companies file centralized service tax returns twice per year irrespective of number of branches in different states. But now they have to file minimum three returns per month per state.

Also, according to the GST law, bill of supply is to be compulsorily issued in case of exempt supplies i.e. interest income in case of banks and non banking financial companies.

In the tax system that existed before GST, production of goods was taxed and the rates were high.Moreover, tax on tax adds to the cost buildup. With GST, overall taxes on goods are likely to come down making them cheaper.

Certain essential items such as raw food articles are not taxed at present and this is expected to continue.

One of the major concerns about GST that is being discussed in some section is about difference in GST rates as compared to other countries in the world. Here too, it might be noted that each and every country has different geographical environmental situation and they differ culturally too. As such, the rate is going to be different according to various circumstances prevailing in each country.

It is quite possible that there might be some teething troubles too, which does not necessary prove that such a new concept is not practically viable. In the implementation of GST too, the government is monitoring the practical issues and taking necessary corrective actions.

However, one can only conclude that GST is here to stay and in the long run an effective and good tax regime is what India needs to address the issues of multiplicity of taxes, higher compliance costs, and improving the overall investment climate in the country.